Judging Category: Hospitality
Entrants Name: Fox + Fox Design LLC
Project name and location: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse – Anaheim, CA
Date of Completion: APRIL 2007
Lighting Designers on Project: John M. Fox, Debra A. Fox, Elisha L. Griego
Entrants Name: Fox + Fox Design LLC
Project name and location: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse – Anaheim, CA
Date of Completion: APRIL 2007
Lighting Designers on Project: John M. Fox, Debra A. Fox, Elisha L. Griego
Architects: Derek Kitabayashi & Janet D’Aprix, Kitabayashi Design Studio
Size of project in sq. ft. or meters: 9,385 s.f.
Installation cost: lighting est. at $35 per square foot
Watts per sq. ft. or meter (mandatory): 2.0 watts per sq. ft.
WRITTEN BRIEF (Restricted to No More Than 100 TOTAL Words)
Creating this landmark experience required complete immersion of design and color. We crafted this visual feast with unshackled creative thought, intimate collaboration with the Architect, and extraordinary artistic freedom. For their flagship restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse challenged the design team to redefine what a first-in-class steakhouse experience should be. Shedding the historical fashion of New Orleans, the chain’s birth place, our aspiration was to crystallize the feel of a fresh, sophisticated, and refined adaptation of its legendary downtown French Quarter. Extensive use of LED technology and the latest controls ensured this dining experience would exceed all expectations of a visiting guest.
Keyed description(Restricted to No More Than 400 TOTAL Words)
Installation cost: lighting est. at $35 per square foot
Watts per sq. ft. or meter (mandatory): 2.0 watts per sq. ft.
WRITTEN BRIEF (Restricted to No More Than 100 TOTAL Words)
Creating this landmark experience required complete immersion of design and color. We crafted this visual feast with unshackled creative thought, intimate collaboration with the Architect, and extraordinary artistic freedom. For their flagship restaurant, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse challenged the design team to redefine what a first-in-class steakhouse experience should be. Shedding the historical fashion of New Orleans, the chain’s birth place, our aspiration was to crystallize the feel of a fresh, sophisticated, and refined adaptation of its legendary downtown French Quarter. Extensive use of LED technology and the latest controls ensured this dining experience would exceed all expectations of a visiting guest.
Keyed description(Restricted to No More Than 400 TOTAL Words)
Image 1: The concept was to choreograph a ‘nighttime streetscape’ experience between two storefront buildings, the bar on one side and the kitchen, restrooms and private dining rooms on the other. Historically-sensitive candelabra-style gothic lanterns, reminiscent of the French Quarter, announce the main entrance, while differing but compatible custom sconces flank the entry adjacent to the bar.
Image 2: Rigorously controlled transmission levels of the Kalwall skylights ensure a soft, natural daylight experience during the summer months. The trellis-like ironwork design was carefully scaled, with glass ‘rondels’ added for color. Filtered xenon striplights energize the glass, wood ceiling and skylights. Custom uplights accenting the columns, oversized original sconces, and one VNSP downlight per table complete the visual feast.
Image 3: From the dining room, a dinner guest is invited through, to the secluded but engaged bar area. Here, a guest would take notice of the original glass and steel sculptures lit by recessed VNSP downlights and LED backlit bottle displays flanking the bar’s central entrance.
Image 4: The entire bar, including custom wood backbar and private booths, is saturated with DMX-driven LED cove lighting in the ceiling, pulling the guests from their everyday life.
Image 5: The dim downlights and surreal colors allow them to hit the day’s restart button and unwind. Colors were carefully confined to a complex warm-tone palette that changes like a slow breeze.
Image 6: A unique opportunity to design the lighting AND a 16’ high glass sculpture allowed us to truly indulge in the facets of color, reflectivity, glass, art and light.
Image 7: The prominent placement of this signature piece ensured that all guests are touched by its beauty. They often can’t help but to be photographed near it with a loved one. After drinks at the bar, perhaps a private dining room was reserved.
Image 8: Here they are enveloped in the warm glow of custom designed hand-blown ‘glass horn’ pendants, more VNSP downlights on the tables and candlelight. Additional custom sconces pull back from the free flowing glass to ground the project into a comfortable, historical context.
Image 9: A full course of custom glass including the sculpture, pendants, sconces, and table lamps unify the spaces from the welcome counter to the private rooms. It was envisioned as a complete banquet from aperitif to cheesecake.
Image 10: With a hands-off, fully astronomical dimming lighting control system managing the entire restaurant, the staff can forget about lighting settings, and focus on accommodating every whim of the diner’s desires, except to make sure, of course, that the oil candles are always filled.
Image 7: The prominent placement of this signature piece ensured that all guests are touched by its beauty. They often can’t help but to be photographed near it with a loved one. After drinks at the bar, perhaps a private dining room was reserved.Image 8: Here they are enveloped in the warm glow of custom designed hand-blown ‘glass horn’ pendants, more VNSP downlights on the tables and candlelight. Additional custom sconces pull back from the free flowing glass to ground the project into a comfortable, historical context.Image 9: A full course of custom glass including the sculpture, pendants, sconces, and table lamps unify the spaces from the welcome counter to the private rooms. It was envisioned as a complete banquet from aperitif to cheesecake.Image 10: With a hands-off, fully astronomical dimming lighting control system managing the entire restaurant, the staff can forget about lighting settings, and focus on accommodating every whim of the diner’s desires, except to make sure, of course, that the oil candles are always filled.
